Everything about the new revelations on Operation Shadows has been tossing around mayhem in the community. Operation Pass with 20 Tiers featured customization for Whisper armor lets you unlock wonderful things instantly, such as a new MA5K weapon model called the Hush, weapon coatings for Nighthawk, the Green Mixer visor, and a Purrsonal Spartan weapon charm (that cat charm is simply “awesome”). Whereas when you go premium at 50 tiers, you get so much more.
343 Industries frightened all the players at every pixel of the reveal with a preview of the 2025 Fall Update at #HCSSLC25. The new update, however, had all the usual hype, skepticism, and almost outright chaos brewing from 343 in response.
And, first off, the armor. Some have outright called it ‘ugly asf’ (shoutout to RangDangDiggidy for keeping it real); others are loving it for that Aztec/Mayan vibe. Niko Skoda commented that the chestpiece looks exactly like something taken from a COG build from Gears of War-and he ain’t wrong. Spida-Mane was of the opinion that it more or less looked like, “That’s a god damn bionicle,” on which we have to agree.
It’s that MA5K Hush model, that got Killer Orca torn between loving it as it is and wanting more. “See now I’m torn, cause it’s perfect as it is, being the MA5K…” was the tweet, and honestly, that is the kind of vibe. Weapon coatings and visors also do have a fanbase: Kiwi calls the Aztec armor “beautiful,” while OmArt2 thinks it’s a “win.”
Lyn! just said, “Not a fan of any of these, I will wait for H3 Recon.” Fair, nostalgia can hit hard. Then Rich hit us with the ultimate snipe, “Until it comes to releasing games in a timely manner and not blowing it on release.”
And this is just the onset. Players are begging for options for symmetry, like Our Big Guy (for you), who wants to know if one can place wrist and hip armor attachments on both sides. Killer Orca shot back with the actual reasoning: “Can’t put it on the other wrist cause that clips with equipment, specifically the Grappleshot and Repulsor.” Well then, know that, but 343, let us still be extra.
And then there is that cat charm. Look, we’re not lawmakers, but in all seriousness-if you CA not have that Purrsonal Spartan charm equipped, are you really a Halo fan? The answer is a resounding no.
I think every Halo update would be incomplete without him demanding, “Are people still paying for this?” (shoutout to Some dude on the internet). But, seriously, Halo is one of those series where people WILL donate to it, complain about it, then donate again – the circle of life.
But the hype never dies down. Players are already speculating about the follow-up to the 2025 Fall Update teaser. Are Red Shift or Watchdog coatings and even more variants for the MA5K finally coming? And more importantly… any further cat charms?
One thing is for sure: Whether Halo fans have love for the new drops or they don’t, that passion still runs deep in the community. And that’s what makes it fun. So go ahead, get your MA5K out, strap that Purrsonal charm on, and roll out. It is Operation Shadows, and drama has arrived in town.
